Combined pump and air separator unit



June 16, 1953 A. L.'GRISE 4 2,642,148

COMBINED PUMP AND AIR SEPARATOR UNIT Filed April 8, 1952' s Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ALFRED L GR IS ATTORNEYS Jung 16, 1953 A. L. GRISE 2,642,143

COMBINED PUMP AND AIR SEPARATOR UNIT Filed April 8, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR' ALFRED l GRISE AT TOR N EYS Patented June 16, 1953 Alfred L. Gris, Springfield, Mass., assignor to Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company, West Springfield, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April .8, 1952, Serial No. 281,149

This invention relates to a combined pump and air separator unit, such for example, as is suitable for use in a gasoline measuring and dispensing apparatus for supplying air-free liquid to the meter and the dispensing conduit thereof.

The invention has for an object the provision of a rotary pump and an air separator which are so related as to enable efficient separation of air from the liquid to be effected at a rapid rate with relatively low volumetric capacity and, at the same time, provide for a freer flow of liquid through the apparatus so that liquid can be delivered at a faster rate with less power than heretofore.

More particularly, the invention provides a substantially cylindrical separating chamber mounted coaxially of the rotary pump with one end wall of the pump serving as one end wall of the separator and having extending through it a port, which is so located with reference to the outlet of the pump chamber and the direction of flow of the liquid therefrom as to smoothly receive and pass such liquid and cause it to be thrown into the upper part of the inlet chamber of the separator.

These and other objects of the invention, relating to improved construction and arrangement of parts, will more particularly appear from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which, r

Fig. 1 is an exterior elevational view of a combined pump and air separator unit embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a. sectional elevational view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view, taken on the line 4- 4 of Fig. 3 and showing the connecting passage between the outlet chamber of the pump and the inlet end of the air separator chamber;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3 and showing the air escape channel;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary top plan view of the tubular knitted metal fabric from which the annular separating element is made;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective View showing how the fabric of Fig. 6 is crimped before winding it up into roll form and Fig. 8 is an end view of the annular sepa rating element. v

taken 5 Claims. (01. 183-25) Referring to these drawings and first to Fig. 1 thereof, the housing of the rotary pump comprises a body I, having an end closure plate 2, secured to the body by cap screws 3 and provided with a hub 4 in which the driving shaft 5 is rotatably mounted. Secured to the opposite end of the pump body I, as by cap screws 6, is a hollow and substantially cylindrical casing l, which is closed at its outer end and affords within it an air separation chamber. Fixed at its lower end to one end of the pump body I is an upstanding bracket 8, having on its upper end a circular flange 9, which supports an annular flange Ill formed on the lower end of a hollow cylindrical casing l I. This casing is closed at its upper end by an integral end Wall and at its lower end by flange 9 and provides within it a liquid recovery chamber. The flanges 9 and Ill are suitably secured together, as by cap screws I2.

Referring next to Fig. 2, the pump body I has formed therein a suction chamber IS, an inlet chamber l4, a cylindrical pump chamber I5, located eccentrically of the driving shaft 5, and an outlet chamber IS. A tapped hole I1, provides an entrance to chamber l3 and is adapted for connection to a suction pipe l8, such as is shown in part in Fig. 1 and leads from a suitable liquid supply tank. A hollow cylindrical filter screen l9, supported at its upper and inner end in an opening in the partition Wall 20, between the chambers I3 and I4, provides the connection between these chambers. The lower and outer end of the screen I9 is carried by a nut 2i, threaded into the lower wall of chamber l3. A port 22 connects the inlet chamber M to one side of the pump chamber and an outlet port 23 connects the opposite side of the pump chamber to outlet chamber Hi. In the partition wall 24, between the outlet and inlet chambers, is a by-pass passage 2-5, controlled by a valve 26, having guide vanes 27 slidably'mounted in a guide 28 fixed in Wall'24. A spring 29, housed in part in a'hollow cap nut 30, screwed into an end wall of the pump-body l, acts between the valve 26 and a seat 3|, a'djustably mounted in nut 30, to hold valve 26 to its seat to close the bypass. The chambers l3, l4 and I6 are cored in the pump body and closed at both ends by end Walls 32 and 33, which are integral parts of the pump body I. The pump chamber 15 is closed .at its inner, endby a flat circular portion ofend wall 33 andat its outer end by the described end closure plate 2, which has a flat inner face.

The driving shaft extends through hub 4 and plate 2, into and through the pump chamber [5, and into a bearing 34, mounted in a hub 35, which projects from wall 33 into the separating chamber 36, coaxially of the latter. A bearing 31 is provided in plate 2 for shaft 5. In the hub 4 is a chamber 38, which encompasses shaft 5 and contains two seal rings 39, both slidably mounted on the shaft, and a spring 40 for spreading the seal rings apart and pressing them, one against an end face of bearing 31 and the other against an end face of a nut 4|. The latter is threaded into the outer end of hub 4 and serves as a closure for the outer end of chamber 38 and any leakage between shaft 5 and its bearing 34 will pass into the separator chamber 36 and do no harm. Fixed to shaft 5 is a cylindrical rotor 42, radiallyslotted at angularly-spaced intervals to slidably receive vanes 43. The end faces of the rotor are recessed to receive, one in each, annular rings 44 which support the ends of the vanes 43 and hold them engaged with the cylindrical wall of chamber i5. The ends of these vanes and the outer and non-recessed part of the ends of the rotor bear against the flat end walls of chamber l5, provided by wall 33 and plate 2.

The body 1 has in its open and flanged end a cylindrical bore 45, terminating with a shoulder 46. This bore receives an annular roll 41, forming the separating element. The inner periphery of this roll is supported on the hub 35 and its outer periphery closely fits the bore 45. The outer portion of the end face of the roll engages the shoulder 46. The inner end face of roll 41 is spaced from wall 33 to form an inlet chamber 43, which is connected with the outlet chamber 16 of the pump by a port in the form of a curved slot 49, which is substantially 90 in extent and located coaxially of pump chamber l5 and just beyond the outlet port 23. The separating roll 1 will be held by liquid pressure against the shoulder 46.

The separating roll is made up of a suitable length of fabric made up of fine metal wire. In the preferred form herein shown, a tubular knitted metal fabric is used. A portion of the .fabric strip is shown at 50 in Fig. 6. Very fine wire, of non-corrosive metal, such for example as Monel metal, is knitted as indicated at 5|, into a tubular fabric. This fabric is then flattened down, forming a two-ply strip. Then this twoply strip is crimped in a manner, shown at 52 in Fig. 6. The crimping lines are preferably disposed at an acute angle to the sides of the strip. To avoid confusion of lines, the knitting is shown separately in Fig. 6 and the crimping in Fig. '7. The strip, formed as described, is wound up, as indicated in Fig. 8, into roll form. The roll is tightly wound and the ridges of one convolution flt into the hollows of an adjacent convolution. A thick roll of a large number of convolutions is thus formed and it presents a compact mass of interfltting and intertangled wires, providing a very great number of very small interstices. The exceedingly small passages through this wire mass are necessarily exceedingly tortuous.

The separator chamber 36 has an outlet for air-free liquid by way of a pipe 53, which extends from a location near the lower part of the chamber upwardly through the same and through a stuffing box, provided in the upper part of the peripheral wall of the body I, and thence upwardly for connection to the meter (not shown). The lower end of the pipe, which is attached to the meter, is inserted into chamber 36 to the desired depth and then held in position by tightening the gland nut 54, which is threaded into body I and which compresses an O-ring 55 of rubber-like material around the pipe to prevent leakage.

The separator chamber 36 has in its upper part an air escape port '56 of restricted cross sectional area. This port, as shown, is formed in a plug 51, fixed in the end of an elbow 58, one end of which is threaded into an opening 59 in casing I. Alongitudinal groove 69 is formed in the upper part of casing 7 leading to opening59 and. port 56. The elbow 5B is connected by a compression coupling 6| to one end of a tube 62, the other end of which is connected by a compression coupling 63 to one end of an elbow 64, the other end of which is threaded into an opening in the flange 9. These elbows and the tube provide a passage for air and gases and a mixture of liquid and air and/or gases from the restricted port 56 to a suitable liquid-recovery chamber or secondary separator.

The liquid recovery chamber, as herein shown, consists of the space 65 enclosed by casing II and flange 9. The inlet opening to this chamber is preferably provided with an overlying baflie in the form of a plate fixed to flange 9. This chamber has an outlet for air and gases in the form of a tapped opening 66 in its upper wall, which opening is adapted for. connection to the lower end of a suitable vent pipe, shown in part at 61 in Fig. 1. The chamber 65 also has an outlet for the recovered liquid by way of the hole 68 in an annular ring 69, which is set into the base flange 9 and provides a seat for a needle valve 10. This outlet 68 is connected by a vertical passage H, formed in bracket 8, to one end of a passage 12, which extends horizontally through bracket 6 into the pump body and through the latter into suction chamber 13. The needle valve H! is raised and lowered by means of a float T3 in chamber 55. This float is mounted for vertical slidin movement on a guide rod 14, which is fixed in and upstands from the base flange 9. Fixed to the bottom of float 13 is a clutch collar 15, in the groove of which are engaged the two round outer ends 76 of a forkshaped lever 11. This lever is pivoted at its other end at 18 to a bracket '19, fixed to flange 9, and the upper end of the stem of the needle valve is pivotally connected to the lever at a location intermediate its ends.

In operation, liquid, together with any air that may be mixed therewith, is drawn up through suction pipe [8 into suction chamber [3 through the filter screen l9 into the inlet chamber I4 and thence through inlet port 22 into the pump chamber 15. In this chamber the liquid is carried in the space between the vanes 43 of the pump rotor in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig, 2, to the outlet port 23, through which it isdischarged into the outlet chamber I6. The liquid is discharged from the port 23 with an upward surge and the port 49 is so located as to receive liquid moving in this direction with the least disturbance and pass it into the inlet chamber 48 of the separator. The port 49 is located relatively high and the liquid passing through it, is thrown into the upper part of the separator chamber 48. The heavier parts of the fluid stream will gravitate into the lower part of.

the separator but the lighter parts Will be in the upper part of the chamber and in this way facilitate the separation of air, which must rise to the top of the chamber in order to reach the air escape opening. To reach this opening the fluid must pass through the roll 41, which has the property of coalescing the air bubbles contained in the liquid. Small bubbles are made Small bubbles are slow to rise into larger ones. in the liquid and, since separation is effected by gravity, 2. larger volume of the separating chamber would be necessary to get out all of the air at the same rate of liquid flow than if the bubbles were larger. The fluid on the inlet side of roll 11 may be in the form of a froth-like emulsion of liquid and tiny bubbles of air. During passage of this emulsion through roll 41, many of these tiny bubbles will be combined into one large bubble. Then, when the fluid leaves roll 4'! and passes into chamber 36, the air will be in the form of relatively large bubbles which will rise quickly to the top of the separator into the channel 6!] which directs them into opening 59 and thence through the port 56 of restricted area into the liquid recovery chamber 65.. This port 56 oiiers very little resistance to the outflow of air alone but much-more resistance to liquid. Of course, some liquid will escape with the air through port 58 and this will be recovered in chamber 65, wherein separation of air and liquid is eflected by gravity under atmospheric pressure. The air leaves by Way of outlet 66 and vent pipe 61 and escapes freely to the atmosphere. The liquid collects in the lower part of chamber 65 and is returned from time to time, when the float 13 lifts valve it, by way of outlet'68 and passages H and I2 into suction chamber I3. Air-free liquid is taken from the lower part of separator 36 through the outlet pipe 53.

The invention also provides as one unit, a rotary pump, an air separator and a liquid recovery chamber with all the necessary interconnections built in so that, when this unit is mounted in a gasoline dispensing apparatus, which may be done by screws applied to the pads 8| on the pump body, one need merely connect to the unit the suction pipe l8, discharge pipe 53 and vent pipe 67. The connection of the pipe 53 from the meter to the separator casing 1 is facilitated by the slip joint connection between them. This joint also eliminates the necessity for close accuracy in the mounting of the meter and the combined unit, particularly with regard to the spacing between them in the housing of the liquid dispensing apparatus.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a rotary pump, including a casing having a peripheral wall and first and second spaced parallel end walls and affording within it a cylindrical pump chamber together with inlet and outlet chambers respectively connected with the pump chamber by peripheral inlet and outlet ports, the ends of said pump chamberbeing closed by the first and second walls and one end of said outlet chamber being closed by the second end wall, a rotor mounted in said pump chamber, a driving shaft fixed to the rotor and rotatably mounted in each of said end walls, a second casing of hollow and substantially cylindrical form having a closure at one end and having its other'end fixed to the second end wall and closed thereby, a coalescing roll mounted in the second casing between the ends thereof and presenting a compacted fibrous mass with manifold tortuous interstices for the passage of fluid therethrough, a port through said second end wall connecting the outlet chamber of the pump to the last-named end of the second casing on one side of said roll, the second casing having an air-escape port located in its upper portion on the other side of said roll and an outlet on the last-named side of said roll for air-.free liquid.

2. The combination, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the port in the second end wall is located closely adjacent the peripheral outlet port of the pump chamber, extends upwardly in approximately the direction in which fluid is discharged by the pump rotor through said outlet port, and opens into the upper portion of the second casing for discharging fluid toward the upper portion of said coalescing roll.

3. The combination, as claimed in claim 1, in which the port in the second end wall is an arc'uate slot at least ninety degrees in angular extent and coaxial with said pump chamber.

4. The combination, as claimed in claim 1, in which the second end wall has a hollow hub through which said shaft passes and said roll has a central opening to fit the exterior of said hub and is mounted thereon.

5. The combination, as claimed in claim 1, together with a third casing having a liquid recovery chamber formed therein and provided with an air vent, a bracket secured to the peripheral wall of the first casing and extending upwardly to and supporting the third casing at a level above the top of the second casing, and a conduit connecting the air-escape port of the second casing with the liquid recovery chamber, said bracket having a passage therethrough for connecting the lower part of the liquid recovery chamber with the inlet chamber of the first casing and conducting the recovered liquid back to the pump.

ALFRED L. GRISE.

Number Name Date 2,330,703 Gris Sept. 28, 1943 2,423,439 De Lancey July 8, 1947 

